Hydrocarbon production typically requires using a drill bit to drill through subterranean formations to form a wellbore that extends through the subterranean formation. Typically, a drilling fluid is circulated through an annulus (or space) between the drill bit and the surface of the wellbore. The drilling fluid cools and lubricates the drill bit while removing the drill shavings from the bottom of the drill string being formed.
Once the desired drilling depth is reached, slurry containing a cement composition can be added into the annular space between the walls of the wellbore and the pipe string to isolate the pipe string from the subterranean zones.
One of the methods used to increase the production of oil and gas from a subterranean formation is to pump polymer compositions and proppants into various portions of the wellbore under high pressure. The high pressure fractures the subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore to increase the permeability of the subterranean formation. The polymer compositions and proppants prevent or reduce the amount of porosity that would be lost once the pressure is reduced. This method is known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”
One of the significant challenges associated with hydraulic fracturing is to increase the mechanical strength of the polymer compositions and proppants used to minimize the number of fractures that are sealed by the overburden pressure of the subterranean formation. If the pressure of the subterranean formation exceeds the strength of the polymer compositions and proppants, then the subterranean formation surrounding the wellbore will lose permeability. This loss of permeability results in either lowered production volumes or longer production times. There is a need for polymer compositions and proppants having improved mechanical strength.
Another challenge associated with hydraulic fracturing is to selectively produce hydrocarbons. Unfortunately, the higher permeability that increases the production of hydrocarbons can also increase the production of undesirable liquids, such as water, which mix with the oil and gas being produced. Polymers known as relative permeability modifiers (RPMs) have been developed to coat the fractured subterranean formation with hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials that facilitate the production of hydrocarbons while minimizing the amount of water produced. However, the relative permeability modifiers are subject to the variable pressures and temperatures of the various stages of conformance and production, which can lead to degradation of the relative permeability modifier over time. The degradation of the relative permeability modifier allows the amount of water produced with the hydrocarbons to increase, which requires the subsequent removal of the water from the produced oil and gas. There is a need for a relative permeability modifier having increased resistance to thermal degradation and mechanical strength to improve the lifetimes and stress ranges of relative permeability modifiers.